Chapter 36: Compromise
"Umu, my name is Kayl, as granted by the previous hero, and a Fenrir."
Oh? So Kayl was a Fenrir? Is that so…? Wait…
""EHHH!???""
Not only my voice was raised in surprise, but Shironeko's voice was mixed in as well. Kaze was just sitting there with the same stiff expression.
"Isn't it rude to your guest to raise your voice in front of her?"
Says the extremely rude and arrogant guest we have.
"A-Anyway, if my hunch is correct, are you the mythical creature said to hold a contract with the town of Granc?"
"Umu."
I didn't notice this earlier, but I can see that she has snow-white hair, with two wolf ears sticking out of her head. A white tail behind her waist and is dressed in clothes royalty would wear. Of course, the clothes have a hole for the tail to ensure the comfort of the wearer.
"Does that apply until now?"
For now, I have to confirm whether the contract is still valid. If it is not, then it will be harder to persuade her to help protect the town from the King's army.
"Unfortunately, or fortunately for you, it is still valid. But once the next head is replaced, then the contract will be void and null, setting me free from the responsibility of protecting that worthless town."
… I really want to know how that SSS-rank adventurer, or hero to her, held up with her attitude. Or is it because he dominated her into submision?
I ended that train of thought and proceeded to further the discussion.
"Then please help protect that town from the enemies."
"Since it is still within the scope of the contract, I was planning to protect it whether or not you warned me, but since you went through all the trouble to warn me about an enemy army marching towards Granc, I thought the two of us could make a deal."
"…"
… I instantly regretted my decision in trying to warn the Fenrir. Even if I didn't do anything, then this girl, Kayl, would defend Granc. But, even if I didn't warn her, monsters working with humans is unprecedented, so she might just curiously ask the Mayor and lead her here, resulting in this meeting.
Well, the early the meet-up, the better, so what the heck.
"Hmm…"
Kayl was looking at my eyes pressing for answers. If I decide to accept, then this might just be me subjected in a one-sided deal, letting Kayl get all the benefits while I get nothing. But if I decline, I can guess by her personality that she will not accept that answer and will force me to accept it with harsher conditions. Jeez, who said that being a manager is all easy and stuff?
"… Fine, I'll accept."
"Wise decision young dungeon master."
With a snap of her fingers, a contract appeared out of thin air and hovered towards me, beckoning me to read its contents. I grabbed the floating contract and took a look at the deal the Fenrir wanted.
This dungeon will be protected by Kayl, the Fenrir, in exchange for housing, food, and other necessities.
The dungeon master, Yanagi Daichi, will have partial control over Kayl, the Fenrir, making commands possible. Do note that excessive commands that are forbidden by Kayl are not allowed.
This contract will last until the death of either, Yanagi Daichi, or Kayl, the Fenrir.
Violation of this contract will result in excruciating pain, enough to render one bedridden for a week.
"…"
The contents of the contract was too much, too much that I had too imagine myself wiping my eyeballs for a moment and apply some contacts to read better.
Isn't Kayl just asking for a place to stay in? And even giving me the right to command her, isn't this deal advantageous, no, extremely advantageous to me?
"Umm… Kayl-dono, is this not disadvantageous to you?"
"What are you talking about? I am a Fenrir, if you want to control me you need to have the strength to do so. Judging by your body's physique, at most, you can only command me to catch some prey for you and me. Of course, the share is 90:10 in my favor."
What is with that cut!? Even in business, that is too much!
"... I'm beginning to understand why you want to make a deal with me with those conditions."
"Yes, I want food, a place to sleep and some other stuff that I know you will provide with me."
"…"
I won't say that you want to see me grow strong to grab the right to command you. I wonder what was the truth between the SSS-rank adventurer who befriended Kayl…
"Okay, I accept these conditions."
Once I accepted the terms and conditions, the contract split into two and turned into light particles and entered our body through our chests. Shironeko was still glaring at Kayl, but when she saw the light entering me, she panicked and tried to stop the light from entering my body. Of course, I stopped her with a pat on the head and my signature smile.
Once that was over, Kaze stood up and directed his gaze at Kayl.
"Now then, Kayl-san, as a new member of this dungeon, we welcome you. Master, please use DP to create a room for Kayl-san. Also, Kayl-san, don't hesitate to ask for master to spend on the furnitures you want."
After his solid end of the conversation, he left the room, or his room to begin with, and headed to who knows where. If I check the surveillance, maybe I can see where he goes, but for now, I still have a matter to deal with.
"Shironeko, please leave us for now and go do whatever you want until I get back, okay?"
"… Muuu… Okay…"
With a hesitating face, she reluctantly left the room, but didn't forget to glare at Kayl for a second before leaving.
"Seriously, can I have that girl? To be able to glare at me upon knowing that I am a legendary Fenrir, she's got the gall."
Again, with her annoying arrogant personality that seems to be looking down on everybody. Just how did the SSS-rank adventurer cope with her in the past?
"Anyway, now that that is over, what kind of room would you like?"
Since this room is linked to the core room, I can access the Dungeon Menu from here.
"Hmm… Let's see…"
***
~ Third Person POV ~
In the past, there was a Fenrir. It was lying peacefully on the grassland under the moonlight. The beautiful scenery could make any artist's heart flutter into the wind.
The Fenrir looked up into the sky and howled as if to mock the Gods for the fate she was given. That howl reverberated through the woods, where not a life was spotted, even insects.
Except for one.
A silhoutte emerged from the shadows in the form of a human. It had a giant greatsword on its back and a body of a gorilla.
His hair was shaggy and messy, while an unkempt beard decorated his chin. His brown eyes, that looked like black ones under the darkness glowed an unusual amount of light while glaring at the lying figure.
"Tch, another one."
The Fenrir stood up on its legs and readied itself for combat. The man grabbed the handle of the greatsword on his back and pulled it out of its sheath and made a posture of that of a barbarian.
If an experienced swordsman looked at his posture right now, he would laugh at its unrefinedness. But if one were to batlle with him, the only result was that the man's enemy would turn into a heap of flesh.
The Fenrir didn't let this fact go. One wrong step and its life would be reaped here and now.
The only noise audible in this land was the whooshing of the wind. Once it stopped, the battle begun.
Craters were formed, trees were mowed down, earth was torn out and thrown, and grasses were flying all over the air.
The fierce battle continued all night and finally, when the sun was just about to rise up, the victor has finally been decided.
The man with wounds all over his body was still standing up while using his greatsword as a crutch, while the Fenrir was lying down on a puddle of blood it formed on the ground unmoving, but still breathing.
"Splendid… Just… Splendid… I have… No qualms… About… This defeat…"
The Fenrir, with the last of its strength, ushered out words of its defeat with pride, but the man next to it had different thoughts.
"… Isn't this just too sad, a life, that was fated to die to fuel the growth of the hero. I'm sick of this. The Gods just think what they want to do because they're sitting all high and mighty in the heavens while the lives they gave are meant to supplement their chosen ones. A life is a life, no matter how different, that's my philosophy."
While the man was rambling on, the Fenrir had already lost all of its senses, but it was still without a doubt, alive. It was just a matter of seconds before its life perished.
"Don't worry, I'll change your fate, and once you're free, you can do whatever you want to do."
Even though the Fenrir had already lost all of its senses, it still heard a sweet voice in its mind filled with compassion.
"You will live, much, much longer than me. You shall be named as Kayl… From… now… on......…."
The senses that the Fenrir thought would never have again, all came back in an instant. But the very first thing the Fenrir saw was a man wounded all over lying on the ground, breathless and unmoving, never to open his eyes again.
Weekly Power Status
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